Healthy Living for Babes on a Budget.

Tag: wine

This post is sponsored by Wente Vineyards but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

When was the last time you spent an hour doing something that wasn’t work, prepping for the day or week ahead, chores, working out, or taking care of someone else? Are you someone who’s turned their passion into their business like me?

I feel like in 2019, it’s getting harder and harder to get away from work, whether it’s because we’re hustling or even working in an industry like social media where our life IS our work. If that’s you (it’s me, too), I think it’s important for both of us to remember to make time for our hobbies that bring us joy and have absolutely nothing to do with making money.

If I’m being honest, there are a lot of things I do that feel like hobbies but also help me in business – like listening to entrepreneurial podcasts, cooking/baking, editing photos, writing, etc. However, since these are now my job, they come with their own set of stresses that hobbies that are *just* hobbies do not.

Some of the things I used to love when I was younger were knitting, drawing, journaling, coloring, reading and sewing. You guys, I used to knit up a STORM – it was so much fun, you could make all kinds of things and it was cool to see your work create something tangible! My mom and I would grab a cup of tea or glass of wine, and sit down to knit together when I lived at home😊

I also used to read SO much, especially in the summertime! I could read 3-4 books in just a week-long vacation, but why do I need to be on vacation to do that? And coloring – there’s a reason that coloring books were so trendy a few years ago! They’re good for soul and are so much fun. Plus, none of them have to do with being on a phone or computer – the key to truly unplugging and doing something that brings me joy!

Honestly just writing this is getting me excited to sit down, open a bottle of white, and hop in the tub. I might color or read, and then when I get out, I think I’ll get back to knitting the baby blanket I’ve been working on for my dog (yep, you heard that right😂).

So, now I’m taking a 21 Day Pledge with Wente Vineyards to make time for my hobbies no matter what. Since it takes 21 days to form a habit, they’ll keep you accountable by sending tips, ideas and inspiration that can help you lead a more fulfilling life.

I know for me personally, taking this pledge and making my priorities a hobby may mean less time growing my business or out with friends, but it also means that I’ll be happier because hobbies = self care.

Wente Vineyards is actually the country’s oldest, continuously operated family-owned winery (founded in 1833) and is California certified sustainable, using earth-friendly practices throughout their estate vineyards, winemaking practices and in the community. Not to mention this Chardonnay is one of my absolute favorites😍

So will you take the Wente Vineyards 21 Day #MakeTime Pledge with me? I think we could all really use a bit more time to focus on what makes us happy, whether that’s getting back to our hobbies, spending more time with loved ones, traveling, or experience life to the fullest!

This post is in partnership with TheCrusher Wines, but all opinions are mine, as always!

December is HERE and the holiday season is definitely in full force! I’m only in LA for two more weekends before I head home for the holidays, but I can tell you that those are (at least) four JAM packed days of holiday parties.

Instead of preaching on here and telling you to “eat before you go so you can avoid the food” or “limit dessert to one bite,” I’m going to give you the REAL deal, at least from my view. The holidays come ONCE a year, and it’s my faaavorite time of year, no less. Food and drinks bring people together during this time, so you bet your cute booty I’m gonna enjoy myself. I will 100% eat what I want (as long as I know it won’t make my stomach hurt) and accept the fact that hey, my jeans might fit a little tighter come Christmas. But you know what? That’s why leggings and fit n’ flare dresses exist😉

Because this is a “healthy living” blog, and I do try to live a healthy life, I want to tell you how I keep things balanced this time of year. After all, being “healthy” is really all about balance in my opinion. And by that, I essentially just mean tradeoffs. For example, you have a green smoothie in the morning knowing that you might not have as many greens later that day. Or, you’ll absolutely want to stuff your face at the open bar/dinner buffet that work is throwing for everyone that night, so you make sure you just get in a sweat sesh that morning. Easy👏peasy👏

I do NOT believe in limiting myself. I do NOT believe that holiday parties should make me think any harder than I already do about trying to stay on track with my health goals. Because let’s face it, anxiety around eating and drinking during the holiday season just causes mental health issues, which is no bueno either. I WILL try the desserts because they’re my favorite thing ever and yes, I WILL have a glass or two of The Crusher Wines Cabernet Sauvignon because it’s DELICIOUS.

Here are 4 simple ways I like to keep things as balanced as I possibly can during the holiday season:

1. Move my body (preferably with friends!) – I am alwayssss a fan of pairing my fitness with friend time! Classes are usually attended with my workout buddies (hi Pam, Alycia and Audrey!!), and since some of my friends are actually instructors (hi Keely and Lindsay!), going to take their classes really just feels like a fun play date. Since I definitely like to keep up my fitness routine during the holidays, if not amp it up even more so, I’ll make as many of my friend dates include movement as possible! Some of my favorite options: hikes, coffee walks, pilates or barre class, and yoga + smoothie dates! If you work hard, you can play hard😏

2. Indulge!Seriously. – Holiday food and drinks are my favorite, but in moderation! Besides, if I deprive myself, I’m one of those people who will later go HAM either because I feel like I need to “reward” myself or need to shovel it all in at once before it’s too late. I think it’s 110% okay to enjoy the things that make you happy around the holiday season, like a glass of your favorite wine!

3. Opt for lower calorie/lower sugar alcoholic drinks – I usually don’t drink more than a glass of wine a week, but around the holidays? I LOVE to unwind with my boyfriend and best friends over a bottle of wine, my favorite Christmas movie, a candle, and most likely dessert (you know me!). Whether I’m cozied up at home or out at a holiday party, I just try to make sure I’m choosing options that have less sugar like The Crusher Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Red Wine Blend. I won’t lie to you, their Chardonnay is my absolute FAVE, and that’s totally fine too, but I prefer to save my sweet tooth for all the desserts 😉

4. Swap some of my favorite treats for healthier options – You’ll notice the platter pictured in this post does not have cheese on it…like WHAT WHO AM I AND WHERE DID JORDAN GO. I know, I know, cheese is the BEST. I’m so thankful I’m not lactose intolerant #bless. But that being said, I know that I tend to go overboard with the cheese so instead, I opt for things like fresh veggies, fruit, and hummus when I can! Cheese is still a thing for sure, I just try to do it less often.

So those are just four super chill ways I try to keep things 💯 over here during the holiday season. I know it’s not easy – eating healthy in general is stressful and adding a bunch of social gatherings into the mix can really throw us for a loop, but just do your best to have FUN without overthinking it, okay?

Whether it’s for yourself, someone you need a gift for, or even the hostess of the next party in your calendar, I couldn’t possibly recommend The Crusher Wines more! I rarely say this about wine, but EVERY single varietal they offer is out of control delicious. If you’d like to try some for yourself here in LA, check your local Sprouts or Costco, or you can visit this store locator and type in your zip code to find where The Crusher Wines is offered near you! And don’t forget to let me know your favorite once you try it 😍

I’ve been playing catch-up all week, but I’m finally back to bring you guys a re-cap of my awesome weekend up in Northern California with my parents. I met them up in San Francisco last Thursday, where we squeezed in a bit of sight-seeing!

The next day we took a drive to Sonoma, where we went to two different wine-tastings and enjoyed lunch. It was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to.

We also got to take a pretty detailed tour of the first winery, Ramsgate, with its owner where we learned about how they make their wine of the highest quality. Almost everything there is done completely by hand and tested frequently so that the final product is wine that is out of this world. We tasted their brut, chardonnay (my personal favorite, I think!), pinot noir, and malbec. They also offered a tasting menu with dishes that are specially paired to match the wines and bring out the best flavors in both.

It was such an incredible experience, I seriously felt like a princess. I definitely want to experiment more with wine pairings in my cooking now!

The next day we made our way over to Half Moon Bay on the Northern California coast. I’ve never been up there before, but had always wanted to, and it was so unbelievably beautiful.

There was an immediate feeling of tranquility driving along the coast and though Southern California is also gorgeous, the views are just…different. I fell in love with it right away. When we got to our hotel, the Ritz Carlton (I know, spoiled, right?), we had a light lunch before exploring the private beach.

I don’t know why, but I think there’s something so beautiful about rocks and cliffs by the ocean. Maybe it’s because we didn’t have any on the east coast? I think it just makes it look even more secluded and organic. It’s not overrun or dirty, like some other beaches I’ve been to. It’s just peaceful and perfect! Can you tell I didn’t want to leave?!

Dinner was at Sam’s Chowder House, a locals’ favorite. We decided to eat outside at the bar with a glass of prosecco and a view. We even caught a beach wedding!

That ridiculously beautiful dish up there is the paella for two that I shared with my mom. It was full of fresh seafood, some of the best I’ve tasted in ages, including scallops, clams, mussels, shrimp and calamari. The peas were delicious too, which is something I never really thought I’d say. I need to re-create this dish at home!

Dinner was followed by s’mores out by the fire pits at the hotel! Can’t beat that view. And we had so much fun making them, everyone else outside was definitely jealous!

Nothing screams summer like s’mores on the beach at sunset 🙂

The next day we slept in and enjoyed a healthy brunch before our workout. And when I say healthy, I’m entirely omitting the part where I grabbed a chocolate croissant, proceeded to cover it in peanut butter, and then shoveled in that + half of my mom’s sticky bun. WHAT?! Shh…

After a few hours laying on the beach and soaking up the sun (we definitely lucked out with the weather), we packed up our things. Since we had to drive a ways back to the airport, we decided to have an early dinner. Guess where…

Yep, that would be the famous Lobster Roll from Sam’s. We had such amazing food there the night before that we had to try more! This roll did not disappoint – it was just a ton of fresh lobster, sautéed in butter and lemon, inside a buttered sourdough roll. Those fries were a total splurge, but when I saw that they were topped with Old Bay, I couldn’t resist. Even the coleslaw was good and I don’t like coleslaw!

It was such a perfect weekend, just thinking about it makes me happy! After treating myself one too many times though, I definitely feel like I need to get back on track this week. I have some healthy recipes on deck for you guys. Be back soon!

It’s a little late for a Memorial Day Weekend re-cap I suppose, but here are some of the highlights from my life lately!

The long weekend was absolutely glorious, even though I had to work just a little. It started out with me getting a new phone…

Mine was totally crapping out on me, so I splurged. I’m already obsessed with the camera on the 6.

I also caught a free screening of Pitch Perfect 2 – work perks! I really, really liked it, which I’m slightly embarrassed to say. I guess I had low expectations and forgot how much I liked the first one, so I ended up laughing my a$$ off nearly the entire time. I wish Anna Kendrick could be my best friend…

Monday was spent with some of my best friends at Malibu Family Wines. If you’ve never been there and live in the area, I highly recommend it. It’s way up in the mountains and boasts a wine bar, live music (at least they did while I was there!), a field and tables for picnicking, and gorgeous views.

You can bring your own food, and some other groups had really gorgeous spreads, but we decided to go with the Lobos Truck! After a wine flight, we all split a bottle of Brut to go with our lunches because what goes better with burgers and waffle-fry-nachos (aka wachos) than classy sparkling wine?

We seriously had the best time and I haven’t felt that relaxed in ages. I can’t wait to go back!

Alright y’all, that’s it for now. This week’s madness is in full force, but I’ll be back soon. T-8 days until school is out for summer but hey, who’s counting?! *me*